Gulf Park Campus

Gulf Park Campus

Through our 52-acre beachfront campus in Long Beach, Mississippi, USM serves as the
only four-year public institution located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, offering
bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 50 distinct academic fields.
The Gulf Park campus is also home to the state’s only bachelor’s degree in ocean engineering
and the only film studies pathway offered at a public institution in the state.

Notable Landmarks

Bear Point Bayou, which runs through the Gulf Park campus, is home to various species
of turtles, fish, and other coastal wildlife, and is fed from a natural spring located
north of campus. It is reported that Bear Point was first listed on a map of the area
in 1774.

The Friendship Oak, located on the east side of Hardy Hall, is a magnificent Live
oak tree overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Standing tall for more than 500 years, her
roots are deep on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, surviving dozens of storms – including
Hurricane Camille in 1969 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The grand oak is loved by
former students, revered by many, and remembered fondly by those whose relationships
began underneath its branches.

On October 24, 2013, two massive golden eagle statues were dedicated to the University
by alumnus Chuck Scianna – one on the Hattiesburg campus and the other on the Gulf
Park campus. Named Lofty Return, the sculptures symbolically tie the campuses together
while welcoming alumni back to their alma mater. The Gulf Park campus eagle is positioned
on the northeast side of Hardy Hall and faces east towards Elizabeth and Lloyd Halls.